forlorn hope
noun
1
: a body of men selected to perform a perilous service
2
: a desperate or extremely difficult enterprise
Examples of forlorn hope in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
This seems a forlorn hope in light of continuing government hostility to the BBC and the wider attack on public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom.
—
Simon J. Potter, Foreign Affairs, 31 July 2023
Freedom in Cuba is an ever more forlorn hope.
—Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 17 Dec. 2020
Japan had gambled on a forlorn hope of a short war, but found itself in a trap of its own making that involved a long war of attrition waged against the world's leading industrial power.
—Jeremy Hsu, Discover Magazine, 21 Aug. 2017
Rather, the real purpose is a forlorn hope to make Iran a strategic partner of sorts.
—Sean Durns, National Review, 5 Mar. 2022
The study strongly suggests that relying on military rapid response units to save diplomats is a forlorn hope.
—Michael Peck, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2021
This seems to be Blue and White’s favored option, though it is based on a forlorn hope.
—Bernard Avishai, The New Yorker, 27 Sep. 2019
However, expecting the Croatian soccer authorities to act the right way in such a situation was always going to be a forlorn hope.
—Martin Rogers, USA TODAY, 9 July 2018
Seeing as Croatia are already through to the last 16, this may turn out to be a forlorn hope.
—SI.com, 22 June 2018
Simon J. Potter, Foreign Affairs, 31 July 2023
Freedom in Cuba is an ever more forlorn hope.
—Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 17 Dec. 2020
Japan had gambled on a forlorn hope of a short war, but found itself in a trap of its own making that involved a long war of attrition waged against the world's leading industrial power.
—Jeremy Hsu, Discover Magazine, 21 Aug. 2017
Rather, the real purpose is a forlorn hope to make Iran a strategic partner of sorts.
—Sean Durns, National Review, 5 Mar. 2022
The study strongly suggests that relying on military rapid response units to save diplomats is a forlorn hope.
—Michael Peck, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2021
This seems to be Blue and White’s favored option, though it is based on a forlorn hope.
—Bernard Avishai, The New Yorker, 27 Sep. 2019
However, expecting the Croatian soccer authorities to act the right way in such a situation was always going to be a forlorn hope.
—Martin Rogers, USA TODAY, 9 July 2018
Seeing as Croatia are already through to the last 16, this may turn out to be a forlorn hope.
—SI.com, 22 June 2018
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'forlorn hope.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near forlorn hope
Cite this Entry
“Forlorn hope.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/forlorn%20hope. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
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